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After a beat, Celie joined in, “Yes, he would never give up his humanity.”

Aaron without his humanity would be exactly the person Evan had seen earlier at the Tomb of Ascension. Every time he recalled the sound of his bloodcurdling screams, Evan’s guts churned.

“Let’s find the kids first,” Evan heaved a tired breath.

“Kids?” Elysia looked bewildered.

“Your brother and the rest.”

Celie and Elysia glanced at each other before the former crossed her arms across her chest. “We’re seventeen.”

“Not kids,” Elysia finished.

Delos nodded in agreement.

Evan sighed, not wanting to argue with moody teenagers. “Okay. My bad. Let’s go find your fellow seventeen-year-olds.”

Seeing a satisfied look on the two girls’ faces, Evan almost chuckled to himself.

“We’llfind them.”

Everyone stopped and turned to the owner of that voice.

Xen stood tall among the entire crowd, looming over them with his imposing presence and domineering stare.

“We?” Evan asked.

“You and me. The rest goes home.”

Celie and Elysia instantly complained. “I’m going too.”

“My brother is missing. I will help.”

Xen stared at them, face stoic. “You’re barely capable of helping yourself, much less others.”

Elysia gaped, pressing a hand to her chest. “Rude.”

Celie cocked a brow. “Oh, so you know everything about us, do you? Now that I think about it, wherewereyou all this time? Funny how you always seem to appear right when things go wrong,” her eyes raked over him like he was a lesser species of the hierarchy. “Maybeyou’rethe one who’s behind all this.”

At that, a shadow stepped out from behind Xen. “Kindly mind your words when you speak to My Lord.”

Celie jumped in fright.

Elysia did too.

So did Evan.

“Where the fuck did you come from?!” All three screeched, clutching onto their chests.

Zeev bowed slightly towards Evan, the white mask on his face eliciting a few more terrified whimpers from Elysia before sheshrank behind Delos. “H-He wasn’t there before, right? How d-did he suddenly appear out of nowhere? Is he a ghost?”

“Is anyone around here human?” Celie asked, fuming that she’d been startled while bravely confronting Xen.

Xen, Delos, and Zeev remained silent at her question. While Evan rubbed his throbbing head. It didn’t even hurt this much when he’d been whacked in the face with a piece of rock.

As Delos tried to calm the girls down, Evan turned to Xen.

“Why can’t they come with us?”